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Posted on Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.

MLK Day march to Rick Snyder's Ann Arbor area home planned in protest of emergency manager law

By Ryan J. Stanton

The Rev. Charles E. Williams II says he plans to march hundreds of people into Gov. Rick Snyder's neighborhood outside of Ann Arbor on Monday.

"You can expect hundreds of activists from all over the state of Michigan and some from Ohio and Indiana to converge onto Geddes Road where we will march to the governor's house, delivering to him a letter letting him know that we stand against Public Act 4," said Williams, pastor of the historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit.

Public Act 4 is Michigan's new emergency manager law, which was approved by the Republican-controlled state Legislature last year and signed by Snyder.

The law, which allows state-appointed emergency managers to remove local elected officials from office, is viewed by many Democrats as a threat to democracy.

Monday's Occupy for Democracy rally purposely falls on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and Williams and others plan to honor King's legacy by protesting the law.

"We want the governor to change his mind, and hopefully he sees that there is an uprising of folks across the state — particularly from urban areas — who really care about democracy," he said. "We feel that democracy is at stake, because anytime you cannot choose the destiny of your city, who your elected officials are — be it your mayor or city council or city manager, which is chosen by way of the city council — we feel that is a challenge to democracy."

Rick Snyder

A flier for the event puts it more bluntly: "Alert: Gov. Rick Snyder is stealing your vote, busting your union, and turning Michigan into a dictator state!!"

In response to the proposed plans by activist groups to demonstrate outside Snyder's personal residence in Superior Township, the Michigan State Police Brighton Post says it has gone to great lengths to ensure appropriate security measures are in place.

Working closely with the Ann Arbor Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and Washtenaw County Road Commission, as well as protest organizers, state police officials say a security plan has been developed that allows demonstrators to exercise their constitutional rights while taking into consideration traffic safety and crowd control concerns.

State police also are advising there is no shoulder or parking area along Geddes Road, so no one should expect to be able to park within the proximity of the demonstration.

The coalitions of leaders called Occupy for Democracy have been organizing across the country and Michigan to mobilize people for Monday's rally. It's expected there will be buses shuttling people to Ann Arbor from at least 10 different locations around the state.

Sara Wurfel, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Snyder fully supports the rights of citizens to express their beliefs.

"It's part of democracy in action," she said, commending the various public safety agencies and organizers for working together to ensure a peaceful demonstration.

"At the same time, there's been so much misinformation on the emergency manager law," she said. "We just hope that people will take time to consider the full picture of the crises and dire circumstances we're facing in some of these communities."

Wurfel said the last thing Snyder wants is to have to appoint emergency managers, as he views that as a failure point, but he also has a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of citizens are protected, and the alternatives are far worse.

Snyder and his treasury director have called for review of the city of Detroit's finances to start the process of implementing an emergency manager.

Snyder has taken steps to appoint a financial review team as the city ends the final step before an appointment of a manager, which many Democrats fear will give power to a governor-appointed bureaucrat with Republican leanings to administrate over the city, cutting collective bargaining agreements, selling assets and dismissing elected officials.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, is expected to attend a press conference before Monday's rally. He issued a statement of support, saying his group will further organize efforts to defeat similar legislation in the works in Indiana and Ohio.

Williams, leader of National Action Network's Michigan Chapter, said he's not expecting to go up to Snyder's doorstep or even talk to him on Monday.

"Our best expectation is that he will have a representative from his office there and available to receive the letter," he said. "We think he just doesn't understand how passionate people are about democracy, and we want to make sure he understands that we really want him to rethink Public Act 4 and putting emergency managers in place of elected officials."

Williams fears what an emergency manager might mean for Detroit, a city that's in a process of trying to reinvent itself.

"Specifically for my city, it means that an emergency manager will come in and he will sell assets. He will cut-kill-destroy collective bargaining agreements," he said. "He will worsen city services by cutting city services. All of the things we fight to try to keep.

"So we'll run into things like lights being cut off in areas, garbage not being picked up in certain areas of the city," he said. "But most of all what's going to happen is our vote will be disenfranchised. We elected a mayor. We didn't elect an emergency manager."

Monday's rally starts at 4 p.m. Organizers are asking people to park at Washtenaw Community College at 4800 East Huron Drive and then either walk to the rally point or take a shuttle.

Comments

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
? Martin Luther King Jr.

Sparty

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 9:58 a.m.

Slick Rick has brought his misery to every home in Michigan, so I think it's very refreshing to see a response brought back to his home in a legal manner. It's the American way, constitutionally protected and all although he may not understand that part.

Sparty

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 9:35 a.m.

LoL, more national attention focused on Michigan and one of our unconstitutional laws, just what Slick Rick needs on his quest to lower his national profile and approval ratings from 19%, below Granholm's lowest, to the lowest in the USA currently held by the unpopular newly elected republican Governor of Florida. Beyond the illegal EFM law, perhaps he will also get some attention for the federal lawsuit on the domestic partner benefit ban, the medicinal marijuana violations taking place after ballot approval, and other legal challenges facing his administration. Or maybe just an update on the pending recall starting in May? Michigan spiraling out of control under the Nerd.

Somargie

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 5:25 a.m.

mmm...the year is 2012 and in celebration of MLK Day....the majority of comments about this unconstitutional law, which takes away the voting choices of cities and school boards is met with the most vile and racists statements. How truly hateful to honor our country (the right to protest, constitutional voting/right to representation &amp; a more diverse country) with brutal proof that racism is still pretty ugly. Each city or school district have a right to vote for either a good/bad/ representation. Just because they failed does not give anyone the right to take away their constitutional rights. It has zero to do with race or unions. It's however, interesting that the cities affected are majority minority and this should be a concern for us all as citizens of MI due to motives of the politicians pushing this law. Showing true racism by these hateful comments and in the same racist venom trying to channel Dr. Kings view of where the protest should be is just sad. Instead why not go to Youtube and view Dr. King speeches and read the constitution of the U,S. Don't forget to stop watching Rush Limbaugh and stop pretending you're not racist in the light of day. Wear your racism proudly...you deserve to be outed.

Fire Rick

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 3:44 a.m.

Benton Harbor's EM, Joe Harris, was caught on tape saying this, &quot;So the fact of the matter is, the City Manager is now gone -- I am the City Manager. I replaced the Finance Director. So I'm the Finance Director and the City Manager. I am the Mayor and I am the Commission and I don't need them.&quot;
Great! So one would think that Joe Harris is actually qualified to handle all of these positions, right? Not so much. All Public Act 4 requires is that an EM &quot;have a minimum of 5 years' experience and demonstrable expertise in business, financial, or local or state budgetary matters.&quot; It doesn't say they have to be a good accountant.
A recent audit shows that Joe Harris is actually a horrible accountant. According to Detroit CPA Greg Frazier, "The issue here is that you have an emergency manager zealously pursuing his mission of cost-cutting to impress his employers and the media, and willfully ignoring critical accounting controls that are in place to protect the resources and property of the city of Benton Harbor.&quot;
"One of the material weaknesses identified in the audit report is the absence of proper Segregation of Incompatible Duties: Under this EM, the same person that handles the cash also prepares the bank reconciliations. This is a license to steal money," said Frazier.
Anyone else see a HUGE problem here? Read more startling details about the audit here . . .
<a href="http://michigancitizen.com/audit-of-benton-harbor-em-financial-controls-missing-p10703-1.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://michigancitizen.com/audit-of-benton-harbor-em-financial-controls-missing-p10703-1.htm</a>

Basic Bob

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 4:20 a.m.

The financial controls were missing from the city before the EM took over the duties of running the city. No wonder they needed help. It will take time to straighten out the huge financial mess that city &quot;leaders&quot; found themselves in. Many businesses face discrepancies with the IRS over payroll taxes. It is a common accounting error with significant penalties. But the IRS is not charging tax evasion, they're just looking for the problem to be fixed.
The EM is a response to an emergency which was caused by elected leaders. Regardless of the conspiracy theories. it is not the preferred or desired way to run a city in anyone's book. Certainly the state government has no interest in running this municipal cesspool, but they are left with little choice.
So what are Joe Harris's qualifications? I would have to believe that they meet the minimum requirement, something that elected officials are not required to demonstrate. Where was Greg Frazier when Benton Harbor's mayor, city manager, and finance director were on the job?

The Black Stallion3

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 12:58 a.m.

Tanya......people are upset because you are going to protest in front of the Governors home not because you are protesting.

Tanya Blanchard Mitchell

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 12:34 a.m.

Once upon a time, it was very &quot;American&quot; to support the rights of Americans to protest and disagree, even if one was not in accordance with the position of the protesters. Now such disagreement is met with extreme vitriole.
Whatever happen to civil discourse?! I have to wonder if those who post such nasty, insulting comments here would do so if they were posting under their own names.

Usual Suspect

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 4:12 a.m.

Nobody says you shouldn't protest or shouldn't be allowed to protest. People are just saying the location is wrong.

Angry Moderate

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.

This is pretty funny given that Al Sharpton's rhetoric is far more vitriolic than anything in these comments.

The Black Stallion3

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 12:49 a.m.

Tanya......people are upset because you are going to protest in front of the Governors home not because you are protesting.

Mick52

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 11:09 p.m.

I read almost all the comments looking for something I always find oddly missing from people who are against this law. I do not mind that people disagree with a law or policy, but what I expect from those who strongly oppose a law so vehemently is what they would suggest as an alternative to solve the problem the law is intended to address. Rev. Williams does not offer an alternative solution.
Several posts claim this law is an attack on democracy. But as far as I could read, not one single alternative other than let cities govern themselves. Unfortunately that is in part what lead to the problem and until this law passed, cities had no real alternative other than to wait until they reach bankruptcy. Then a court will do what an EFM will do. Is bankruptcy preferable?
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/business/23prichard.html?_r=1&src=twrhp" rel='nofollow'>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/business/23prichard.html?_r=1&amp;src=twrhp</a>
<a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Cashstrapped-RI-city-files-apf-1809896377.html?x=0" rel='nofollow'>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Cashstrapped-RI-city-files-apf-1809896377.html?x=0</a>
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-14/vallejo-s-california-bankruptcy-failure-scares-cities-into-cost-cutting.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-14/vallejo-s-california-bankruptcy-failure-scares-cities-into-cost-cutting.html</a>
I cannot help but wonder what those who oppose would suggest to assist cities that have severe fiscal problems? Is do nothing is an option? Raise taxes? What? Apparently it is easy to criticize, but difficult to post a preferential plan. I presume there is none because when one cannot come up with an alternative you use some hyperbole, like &quot;it is an attack on democracy.&quot;
So if there is a &quot;better&quot; idea, let's hear it along with the criticism.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 11:14 p.m.

Their solution is to raise taxes on everyone else and make us pay for the incompetent cities and they're incompetent voters, without any representation in those cities' councils or school boards.

Andrew Smith

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.

The &quot;democracy&quot; is getting a lot of twisting here. The majority of voters elected not only Snyder, but also the Michigan legislature which has creating much of the legislation which is associated with Snyder's name. So the folks who are against the 'emergency manager law' are opposed to the democratic process in which the majority of voters have already spoken. Even if there were some reason to oppose the law, would it not be more to the point to protest the state legislature instead of the governor?

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 10:04 p.m.

Angry...don't forget, in an overwhelmingly Democratic county, in which a large number of the only people left with jobs are unionized teachers, health-care workers and skilled tradespeople. They don't have a chance in places like Grand Rapids and most of the rest of the state.
These organizers can't progress without a contingent of willfully ignorant &quot;supporters&quot; who won't question anything they are told. There are only a few places in the state they can find people who fit that description in any real numbers. Even in SE lower Michigan, their only stronghold, they're having to import people from neighboring states.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.

You're bragging about recalling a single state rep by 200 votes, after failing to get enough signatures to even get the governor's recall on the ballot, despite spending millions of dollars on the campaign and sending out thousands of paid workers with petitions and running hundreds of articles in the media? Lol.

It amazes me the those who call themselves conservatives are willing to violate legal agreements negotiated in good faith and constituted under the laws of the State of Michigan just because they hate unions. I'm talking about legal contracts. To my understanding, this type of agreement has been considered pretty much sacrosanct by conservatives almost forever.
I understand that the long-standing hatred for unions among republican conservatives has led to unions seeking support among liberals and democrats. (Yes, there used to be liberals in the Republican Party before The Big Change.) This means that the unions provided funds for candidates who supported the things unions supported, such as a decent pay and working conditions for their members.
My question is this: Since when have conservatives and capitalists believed that the governor of a state should have the power to appoint a someone of his own choosing to throw out such contracts in the interest of perceived state interests?
As a former Conservative Republican, I am truly amazed.

Angry Moderate

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 3:11 a.m.

Lobbyists are corrupt, but unions aren't? What do you think unions do...they lobby.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 1:31 a.m.

YpsiV....I understand your views, but I don't understand one thing, for sure: do these people who don't want to pay union dues plan to negotiate their own contracts and to fight their own battles when management treats them unfairly? I bet they don't want that as part of the no union dues thing. I can also say that the MEA is made up of teachers, and the teachers, should they wish to do so, can have a lot of input at the state and regional and local levels.
If you want to take advantage of the advantages negotiated for you by the MEA, isn't it reasonable to expect you to pay your share of the costs? I think so. And while there has been a lot of graft and corruption in some unions over time, I challenge you to show the graft and corruption of the Michigan Education Association.
I also challenge you to show that any public employee union is more prone to graft and corruption than the members of congress and state and local governments, including the one that wants to set up these management outfits for cities. Let's start with the lobbyists setting up chow lines for our state legislators on a regular basis. That's minor, but it's easy to see. The money used by the MEA to support candidates is from PAC fund, I think, and not from general dues.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:55 p.m.

Billy Bob, I support the law, but I am troubled by certain aspects of it. I separate the people covered by union contracts -- people who are forced to join the union if they want the job, regardless of their wishes -- from the people heading unions in this state, who are corrupt beyond measure and appear to be using union money to conduct ongoing and legally sanctioned political racketeering.
I believe local unions negotiate their contracts in good faith, and I don't believe someone who's worked for 25 years with an understanding of what his/her compensation will be should have that taken away at the last minute. I believe that is illegal and should not be allowed. Workers don't get back those 25 or 30 years, and that contract must honored. Who's fault is it when public officials fail to govern responsibly, fail to plan and fail to manage, or are just out and out corrupt? Not your average employee, who, other than electing a local union rep, has very little say in what goes on from year to year.
Personally, I don't believe in public-sector unions, and I think they should be abolished. Many other states function beautifully without them, and their employees enjoy excellent wages and working conditions. I used to work for one, so I know first-hand. I don't, however, think the people who've been forced to join a public union should be thrown to the wolves.
An emergency manager can offer hope to city employees, as well as city residents, that corruption will be stemmed and public services, jobs and earned benefits can be enjoyed by all stakeholders.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:23 p.m.

These contracts are not negotiated in good faith-- one side has no incentive to negotiate because they're spending other people's money, and receive campaign contributions from the people they're supposed to be negotiating with, funded by dues that everyone who wants to be a public school teacher is forced to pay, whether they support the union's political views or not. Even George Meany, famed president of the AFL-CIO agreed that public sector unions were wrong for this reason.

The Black Stallion3

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:06 p.m.

I think in the best interest of all Americans it would be best for the Detroit crowd to just stay in Detroit and work on making their city better......we do not care to have them in our city just like they have made it clear they do not want us in theirs.

Cossur

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:03 p.m.

There's a long history in the civil rights and community organizing movements of demonstrating in front of the offender's home. It makes his neighbors aware of who's living in their neighborhood, and the people who are being hurt by him while he lives in comfort.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 10:21 p.m.

If I recall correctly, protesting outside Andrew Shirvell's house is &quot;stalking&quot;, and protesting outside abortionists' houses is &quot;harassment.&quot; This is different though-- Snyder needs to know that his policies are hurting multi-millionaire out-of-stater Al Sharpton!

The Black Stallion3

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:07 p.m.

That does not make it right and you know it.

genetracy

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.

I can see it now. A group of protestors will provoke the police and trespass on private property. They get arrested. Statewide media will be their to record it. Organizers will scream &quot;police brutality&quot;. The usual A2 malcontents will come out of the woodwork and call for the cops' jobs. Yep, the whole event will devolve into a typical left wing love fest.

Kai Petainen

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:45 p.m.

if the march is not going to his house and it is not aiming at his private home then the rhetoric that i'm hearing has to stop. go ahead and protest and voice your opinion, but please leave his personal home/street/neighborhood out of the protest. protest in lansing, at the diag, at city hall, at any of the various businesses that he is/was a part of, at the official governor's mansion, etc. But, it's inappropriate to protest at his private house. Respect his privacy. in my personal view, it is entirely inappropriate from a national security standpoint (he is an elected governor for the great state of Michigan), to organize a mass protest to his personal private house. From a security standpoint, I would also feel that it is inappropriate for organizers to find his private home and tell others where it is located. this is what i just heard...
&quot;A rally will be held tomorrow, Monday, beginning at 4pm, starting at Washtenaw Community College and culminating in a march to, and vigil at, Governor Snyder's Ann Arbor home, off Geddes road.&quot;

gonefishing

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 6:59 p.m.

the residents of the city of Ann Arbor and Detroit--will just comfirm how Gov Snyder got elected in the first place----working people are done supporting lazy folks , who have and are looking for someone else to foot their bills,----I always love watching the comedy team--read detroit city council-----complain about those dirty mean taxpayers from the suburbs---trying to take over their city----news flash to the council----it is not your city----and let's have a show of hands for the members who have a degree from a any college --anywhere, even the colleges who don't require attendance----enough said----and last---GO GOV SNYDER----KEEP US IN THE GAME

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.

What I'd like to know now is how do we nominate additional corrupt and mismanaged municipal bodies for EM control? I'd like to start with Wayne County. I think the county's impressive (and growing) multi-million dollar deficit qualifies nicely for &quot;financial distress.&quot; An EM is desperately needed and, from a practical standpoint, it would give the powers that be at the county much more time to focus on answering FBI subpoenas, testifying before the Grand Jury and trying to find taxpayer money with which to compensate their lawyers.

genetracy

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.

Just for the fun of it, let's have a counter protest at Liberty Plaza. You know, just to remind them, &quot;No, the government cannot affiord to pay you 60K a year for doing nothing.&quot;

motorcycleminer

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:09 p.m.

I didn't think there was garbage pick up on monday..but looks like they'll need a couple extra trucks to pick up the street trash and assorted riff raff at that location...&quot; whine is the sweetest when it's squeezed from liberal sour grapes &quot;...

The Black Stallion3

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.

And these protestors from Detroit say it is about the working people......It looks like they do not care about the working people in Ann Arbor. Not much has changed.......has it?

SuperiorMother

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:37 p.m.

AnnArbor.com, can you PLEASE post information regarding the road closing(s) that day? Closing Geddes is going to cause huge traffic problems in that area (with Geddes really being the only east/west road for miles) and people who live and work in that area deserve to know specifically which roads will be closed, and when. Thank you. :)
(My daughter's day care was informed by the police that they must close Monday afternoon due to the road closure. Not so convenient for those of us who have to work that day.)

EyeHeartA2

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:47 p.m.

I don't think anybody at that protest will be missing work. ... of course they could have had it a day later, and nobody would have missed work either.

The Black Stallion3

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.

And these protestors from Detroit say it is about the working people......It looks like they do not care about the working people in Ann Arbor. Not much has changed.......has it?

kilroy

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.

423.9f Mass picketing; threats or force, picketing private residence, misdemeanor.
Sec. 9f.
It shall be unlawful (1) for any person or persons to hinder or prevent by masspicketing, unlawful threats or force the pursuit of any lawful work or employment, (2) to obstruct or interfere with entrance to or egress from any place of employment, (3) to obstruct or interfere with free and uninterrupted use of public roads, streets, highways, railways, airports, or other ways of travel or conveyance, or (4) to engage in picketing a private residence by any means or methods whatever: Provided, That picketing, to the extent that the same is authorized under constitutional provisions, shall in no manner be prohibited. Violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and punishable as such.

Sparty

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 9:48 a.m.

Coordinated with AAPD, Sheriffs Office, and other Law Enforcement Agencies who will assist will crowd control, location, etc. All perfectly legal and constitutionally protected, not to fear.

The Black Stallion3

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2 p.m.

This whole thing is nothing but a joke when you invite Al &amp; Jessie

ViSHa

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.

Agree. By the way, does anyone know where they fall on that whole &quot;percenter&quot; spectrum?

russellr

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2 p.m.

Detroit has already proven they can't run the city. Go down and look at it. Look at all the coruption in the offices. Look at all the
scandals. They need to clean house in every office. They want the march because they are afraid if the emergency manager takes
over there other dirty deals will come to light. Go Rick Snyder your the only one with a backbone.

Alan Goldsmith

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:46 p.m.

Let's march to Conan Smith and Ann Arbor's clueless Mayor's houses too (Old West Side, Burns Park). The both support the Emergency Manager concept and pretend to be upholding the values of the Democratic Party.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 6:56 p.m.

Funny how local Democrats are up in arms about the State &quot;stealing&quot; power from local government, but have no problem with the feds taking power from state government

hank

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.

MB111 told me to( save the melodrama) about my post about the veterans that fought for freedom and in many cases gave their lives for democracy. I would have a few words for MB111 but I would get censored by this site.

MB111

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.

I had a computer/finger glitch - that comment was meant for another post.
But you are correct about the censorship.

DennisP

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:29 p.m.

First, I don't think the Rev. King saw the protection of public unions and of public officials as the reason for risking and, ultimately and tragically, losing his life. I don't believe his vision was that, one day, all of God's children regardless of the color of their skin can elect scoundrels and incompetents to drive municipalities and school districts into the ground. Rev. King used the power of the 1st Amendment to right a massive wrong--the institutionalization of invidious racial discrimination within the protections and laws of governments--most of which were expressed and held most strongly at the local level of government. It took Federal action to wipe away all those local Jim Crow laws of segregation
Second, Mr. Williams states that he is concerned that this law will result in garbage not being picked up, and street lights not working. Am I missing something???? That goes on now in Detroit. It's those very problems that trigger the need for an EM. It's when police don't respond to calls because they don't like some reorganization (that happened recently), it's because fire houses are being closed because contracts can't be negotiated so the only solution are layoffs, it's because garbage festers and snow remains uncleared (that happens regularly in Detroit), it's because buses don't even approach their time schedules. It's because sweetheart no-bid contracts go out to cronies. All that is happening now.
Last, the article states the EM can remove elected officials from office. I didn't review the law in detail but nowhere do I find that the EM has that unilateral authority. Only a Governor has that authority when there's neglect of duty (recall the Granholm hearings on Kilpatrick?). The only thing I found is when an elected official refuses to cooperate with the EM on matters of substance including providing information and documents, then that is &quot;neglect of duty&quot; and the Governor can decide if the official should be removed.

Michigoose

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.

Dr King was shot in Memphis while supporting a sanitation worker strike which was ostensibly illegal because they were public employees. <a href="http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_memphis_sanitation_workers_strike_1968/" rel='nofollow'>http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_memphis_sanitation_workers_strike_1968/</a> Sorry he wasn't what you want!

Albert Howard

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:06 a.m.

Martin Luther King, Jr. would be holding a prayer rally at Michigan Stadium. The civil disobedience hub for the spirit of unity in Christ.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:47 a.m.

Monica, Halflight is correct. You can attempt to create a diversion by quibbling about the process by which an EM can be appointed, and you can issue forth all the half-truths you wish. The fact remains that once in place under either law, an EM has always had the right to get rid of/bye-pass/otherwise render irrelevant the elected officials of the municipality in question. Unions didn't care one bit when, for example, in Flint in 2002, the entire city council was shown the door. Now that unions can be impacted, democracy is all of a sudden under assault. It's embarrassing that anyone would even attempt to argue otherwise with a straight face.
Your contention that &quot;that language alone&quot; is the reason for this is transparently disingenuous, at best. I'm sure it's the reason many participants will believe they are there, having accepted whatever load they've been handed at face value and having failed to research it or think about it for themselves, but it's not why the long list of unions that are behind this are spending their money. History tells us otherwise.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.

Excellent Monica! Name calling...exactly what I would have expected. The last bastion of the intellectually void position. The operative words are &quot;financial stress&quot;; financial stress must be demonstrated and rise to the level described in the statute. You can call all the names you like. It doesn't change the facts.
Your resorting to threats and obstructionism (&quot;...we'll recall everybody and you people will never win and *you coppers will never take us alive*...&quot;) would be highly amusing if it weren't so disturbing. You've also yet to offer any substantial proof or evidence that this isn't, as we all know it is, purely and solely about money. It has nothing to do with democracy, and your posts prove it. Nothing in halflight's posts is factually incorrect.
There's at least one glaring mistake in your post however. Where you wrote, &quot;'Leaders' that passed this 'measure' are removed from office by will of a majority of people in the district (State Senate or State House) they represent.&quot; You obviuosly meant to write &quot;...removed from office by all the will union money and corruption can buy...&quot;.
Lest you comfort yourself with the notion I am carrying anbody's &quot;water bucket,&quot; I am an independent leading Democrat, have voted Democrat or Independent my entire life, and am a former union member. I don't work in Lansing, and I don't know anybody who works in Lansing, and I think I'd rather have the mafia involved in government in this state than the current unions and their leadership. At least they don't pretend to be anyone other than who they are, and their motives are clear.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 5:31 p.m.

LOL. As if the Detroit Coalition of Welfare-Entitle Race-Baiters cares about (or is capable of) interpreting a statute.

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:06 a.m.

Read up Ypsi/Veteran....no need to type my reply to Half-Truth...ironic name isn't it....twice.

Mike

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:37 a.m.

March on the Capitol, send emails, write letters, phone your Congressman. But marching on Gov. Snyder's residence and neighborhood is just plan wrong.

halflight

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:11 a.m.

Monica R-W:
Perhaps you need to read Public Act No. 4
<a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28qio0m255so1u5pisxbl2p145%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-Act-4-of-2011&query=on&highlight=emergency%20AND%20financial%20AND%20manager" rel='nofollow'>http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28qio0m255so1u5pisxbl2p145%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&amp;objectname=mcl-Act-4-of-2011&amp;query=on&amp;highlight=emergency%20AND%20financial%20AND%20manager</a>
&quot;The word &quot;financial&quot; was removed because no financial crisis is required to for Gov. Snyder, Treasurer Dillon or a Superintendent of a School District to appoint a Emergency Manager.&quot;
That's false.
The law clearly sets forth a process for determining whether a city is facing a financial crisis, or &quot;severe financial stress&quot;. See Sec. 14 and Sec. 13(3). Section 13(3) has a long list of the factors that both the review committee and the governor must consider to determine whether severe financial stress exists. If the municipality disagrees, it may challenge the governor's findings in court by showing that there wasn't enough evidence to support the finding of severe financial stress, or the governor acted arbitrarily or capriciously. See Sec. 15(3)
This isn't about &quot;dictatorship&quot;. It's about demagogues and the protestors that support them.
Why are you misleading the public?

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 6:06 p.m.

I feel bad for you Monica...dedicating yourself to the hopeless cause of recalling the Governor. The second recall attempt that is, the first one failed because you couldn't even get enough signatures to put it on the ballot, lol.

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:23 a.m.

One more thing...the city, township, county or school board can fight all they want but....
&quot;-- The existence of other facts or circumstances that in the sole discretion of the State Treasurer for a municipal government are indicative of municipal financial stress, or, that in the sole discretion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a school district are indicative of school district financial stress.&quot;
They won't win. Not today, not tomorrow...not until Gov. Rick Snyder and his GOP 'Leaders' that passed this 'measure' are removed from office by will of a majority of people in the district (State Senate or State House) they represent.
Or by recall....remember former Rep. Paul Scott. He's not a state Representative anymore.
And I hear that state Senator Phil Pavlov, is next on the list.
Also, the entire state House, Republican and Democrat is up for renewal or removal in November 2012. Wonder what party or who, should be watching out for their seats.
If the Michigan State University State of the State Survey is one indication -19.3% favor-ability ratings in Excellent or Good job categories Gov. Snyder- it would be a safe bet to say...the shaky nature at the top of the ladder, might have really bad effects on one(s) trying to hold the bottom of the ladder up.
Goodnight, Half-Truth....
P.S.-Didn't state Rep. Rick Olson (R-Saline) somewhere (An Ann Arbor.com article) say he might SWITCH parties in the upcoming election. Maybe Rep. Olson knows something you don't know.

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:05 a.m.

Halflight,
Section 18, of Public Act #4 reads as it does, look UP for details.
But, just in case you can't or won't....again...
&quot;-- The existence of other facts or circumstances that in the sole discretion of the State Treasurer for a municipal government are indicative of municipal financial stress, or, that in the sole discretion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a school district are indicative of school district financial stress.&quot;
It's the last subsection on why a Emergency Manager can be appointed to a city, township, county or public school district. It's before what you copy/pasted in the &quot;call-out...if you will to me&quot; in section above, thus is why it states, &quot;The existence of OTHER FACTS or CIRCUMSTANCES in the SOLE DISCRETION. But, the key word INDICATIVE.
Adjective-World English Dictionary-Indicative
serving as a sign; suggestive: indicative of trouble ahead
Not proven, but suggestive. I.E.-If we want a Emergency Manager appointed, one will be appointed.
Word games, they are awesome right?
In other words AGAIN...a &quot;Financial Crisis&quot; is NOT required for an appointment of a Emergency Manager.
And....so it is.
So I ask, are you carrying a water bucket for someone in Lansing?
Have a Happy MLK Day!
Monica

katmando

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:04 a.m.

Under the Dems and Granhlom the emergency manager was an equal and a partner under the teapartiers/GOBPers it was given extra powers that make it a dictatorship.

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.

Actually, it has ALWAYS had the power to overrule elected officials, as anyone who actually reads both laws can see. It's just that these &quot;protesters&quot; didn't care (or get paid to care) until the power to modify union contracts for excessive compensation came into the play.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:58 a.m.

Where were Al and Jesse when an EM was sent to Flint in 2002? Where were they when one was sent to Benton Harbor, and then Pontiac? Where were they when the most recent one arrived in Flint? Could it be that the prospect of loosing access to the steady flow of misappropriated and outright stolen public money funneled to Detroit's &quot;ministers&quot; by corrupt elected officials has them a bit upset? There's only one thing that can get the attention of either one of those two, and probably many of the other high-profile attendees tomorrow, and it's not concern for democracy. Whatever will they do without all that stolen money?

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:40 a.m.

@Ypsi/Veteran,
Please read up the differences between Public Act #72
<a href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/FiscalEmerg_271926_7.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/FiscalEmerg_271926_7.pdf</a>
Which was the Legislation that Flint's former Emergency FINANCIAL (that is a key term of difference between Gov. Snyder's Law and fmr. Gov. Blanchard's) Managers operated under and....
Public Act #4 Emergency Managers:
<a href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/FAQs_Act_4_348233_7.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/FAQs_Act_4_348233_7.pdf</a>
The word &quot;financial&quot; was removed because no financial crisis is required to for Gov. Snyder, Treasurer Dillon or a Superintendent of a School District to appoint a Emergency Manager...otherwise known as provision #18.....
&quot;-- The existence of other facts or circumstances that in the sole discretion of the State Treasurer for a municipal government are indicative of municipal financial stress, or, that in the sole discretion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a school district are indicative of school district financial stress.&quot;
This language alone is why a majority of Protesters will be at Gov. Snyder's front gate on Monday. It's called Dictatorship, plain &amp; simple and majority of didn't believe they elected Dictator's, so they thought.

halflight

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:18 a.m.

YpsiVeteran:
You're absolutely right. This is about the unions and keeping the political donations coming. It's not about democracy.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:08 a.m.

No, it's not Sparty. Supposedly, this protest is about democracy and removing elected officials. The EM has always had that power. The difference now is that EMs can also impact union contracts, and that's what this is about. This group could not care less about voting rights. It's all about the unions.

Sparty

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.

Different EM law with fewer powers, like comparing apples to houses.

snoopdog

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:22 a.m.

They didn't want to show up for nuttin if not for Deeeetroit ! Flint--Saginaw wouldn't get no news, too small/not worth their time and hence no show Bro for dah Lil Sista's !
Good Day

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:11 a.m.

&quot;losing,&quot; not &quot;loosing&quot;....

InsideTheHall

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:47 a.m.

Yes, elections have consequences.
Don't spen the state taxpayer dollars wisely and Big Rick will cut you off on behalf of ALL Michiganders who demand accountability and responsibility.
Same ol cast of charcters, we will greet them at the corner.

EyeHeartA2

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:06 a.m.

<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120113/COL10/120113040/Rochelle-Riley-Snyder-can-expect-company-at-home-on-King-Day-Monday?odyssey=mod" rel='nofollow'>http://www.freep.com/article/20120113/COL10/120113040/Rochelle-Riley-Snyder-can-expect-company-at-home-on-King-Day-Monday?odyssey=mod</a>|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p
&quot;Williams said he is expecting busloads of people from Muskegon, Benton Harbor, Flint and Inkster as well as caravans of cars from Detroit and Pontiac&quot;
I agree then, no financial managers. Let Muskegon, Benton Harbor, Flint and Inkster rot.

Michigoose

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:06 a.m.

Snyder has invaded the streets of the people and taken over their governments. Yes, this means that entire police departments have been laid off and that many streetlights have been extinguished by the Emergency Managers. The fire department of Pontiac received pink slips at Christmastime. Meanwhile these municipalities, which are allegedly broke, must pay $400,000+ in yearly salaries to their dictators. Snyder has condescendingly ignored protests at the capital and acts like a king naming dukes. So let him be treated like royalty, at his castle.

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:29 p.m.

Wow, I was searching the internet for the definition of hyperbole and this post came up first.

DonBee

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:43 p.m.

&quot; must pay $400,000+ in yearly salaries to their dictators&quot; - and just where do you get your numbers?
Remember almost all of the EM's have been appointed by the former governor - a Democrat.

kulse012

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:34 a.m.

The entire Pontiac police department was hired by the Oakland County Sheriff. They now enjoy faster response times. The fire department merged with Waterford Fire Department. Same response time. Those who were laid off were offered early retirement if eligible, 15,000 dollar payment for those who apply to Waterford Fire Department, and a promise of 1 year full pay if they are laid off for some reason. If not for the EFM, everyone goes broke. Ask Detroit what happens when you have to lay off firemen constantly and how that works for response times. 3 million dollar savings. Government serving the people.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:18 a.m.

These cities are spending money they don't have. What about that is hard to understand? Do you think those city employees would have stayed on the job when they weren't getting paid? In Pontiac, the city officers were hired by Oakland County Sheriff. Would you have preferred they just show up one day and get told there's no more money to pay them?

bornblu

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:26 a.m.

As a taxpaying citizen I support the appointment of an emergency manager to any city, school district, etc. where the criteria established shows the need; regardless of color or nationality of the district or city. I also absolutley support the right of any group of people or organizations to protest the implementation of the emergency manager law. What I would also hope to occur is that the same protesters march back to the city of their concern and utilize their time and effort in other resposnible actions such as cleaning streets, vacant homes, delapidated properties, etc., and possibly donating a comprable amount of money spent/lost through their time of protest, to their city of concern This responsible action may postpone or eliminate emergency manager need (if not in the city they are concerned with, maybe another location could be supported).

Kai Petainen

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:33 p.m.

&quot;You can expect hundreds of activists from all over the state of Michigan and some from Ohio and Indiana to converge onto Geddes Road where we will march to the governor's house, delivering to him a letter letting him know that we stand against Public Act 4,&quot; said Williams, pastor of the historic King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit.
The clarification is here...
&quot;Williams, leader of National Action Network's Michigan Chapter, said he's not expecting to go up to Snyder's doorstep or even talk to him on Monday. &quot;Our best expectation is that he will have a representative from his office there and available to receive the letter,&quot; he said.
But, to be quite clear, perhaps that sentence should be re-written to read:
Williams, leader of National Action Network's Michigan Chapter, made it clear that HE IS NOT GOING to Snyder's doorstep

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

Wouldn't it make more sense to expect a representative of the Governor to be in the Capitol?
Protesting is certainly the right of the people who will be there, but I feel it is an &quot;angry&quot; maneuver that will backfire on public opinion of the groups and/or their message.

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:25 a.m.

Thanks for noting the correction Kai. We were personally informed of the latter quote on our weekly podcast program by Rev. D. Alexander Bullock of the Rainbow Push Organization-Detroit, last Saturday.

Ron Granger

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:29 p.m.

For a lot of us, this isn't about Detroit.
This is about Snyder applying this law elsewhere across the state.

Basic Bob

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.

Michigan Progressives, giving up their brethren in the slums.
As a Democrat, I deplore your insensitivity to the conditions of the real working poor. Keep thinking only of yourselves.

Arborcomment

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:45 a.m.

And on what basis would he apply elsewhere?

katmando

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:25 p.m.

You teapartiers/GOBPers are such hypocrites if the Dems had tried this you would be screaming bloody murder!

Fire Rick

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 3:37 a.m.

@halflight and ViSHa -
Whether or not Granholm, Engler or Blanchard appointed Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs) is irrelevant because the EFMs they appointed were done so under the old law, Public Act 72 of 1990. Public Act 72 was repealed and no one is protesting Public Act 72. In other words, &quot;no screaming bloody murder&quot; was heard when former Michigan governors appointed EFMs because Public Act 4 didn't exist until Snyder took office.
Under the new Public Act 4 of 2011, the &quot;F&quot; was dropped and they are now called Emergency Managers (EMs). EMs have new far-reaching powers that EFMs didn't have under Public Act 72. Under Public Act 4, EMs can suspend the authority of your ELECTED officials, revoke public contracts, sell public assets, dissolve municipalities, and close schools. Keep in mind that there is almost NO accountability or oversight for the decisions of EMs.
<a href="http://youtu.be/_mY0aG16aac" rel='nofollow'>http://youtu.be/_mY0aG16aac</a>

halflight

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:29 a.m.

The point is that Democrats appointed emergency managers. No screaming bloody murder was heard.

Fire Rick

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1 a.m.

ViSHa -
And your point is??

ViSHa

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:52 a.m.

&quot;In April 2010, Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Joseph Harris as Emergency Financial Manager. City staff has been reduced by 30 to 70.&quot;
&quot;From 2009-2011, DPS finances were managed by Robert Bobb who was appointed by former Governor Jennifer Granholm.&quot;

sbbuilder

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:10 a.m.

Nepal Capital
No, we would be rejoicing and singing .
We generally leave the screaming and ranting for the other side.

katmando

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:26 p.m.

emergency manager law

Monica R-W

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11 p.m.

Fair and un-bias reporting Ryan, as always. Glad you pursued this story to gather opinions from all sides, The State Police, Governor Snyder's Spokeswoman, Rev. Williams...who is one of the member of the Clergy organizing the protest.
Also, there is a rumor that a letter will be delivered to Governor Snyder's front door going around on the Ann Arbor.com Facebook page. This is blatantly false.
Rev. D. Alexander Bullock of the Detroit Branch of the National Rainbow Push Organization, confirmed on our weekend political podcast ROJS Radio, last Saturday, that the letter in question will be delivered to the FRONT GATE guard at the Geddes Glen location, who would then pass it along to Governor Snyder.
In other words. the protest will end at the gated community front gate and not Gov. Snyder's front yard.
Here is a link to the podcast if confirmation is needed. To hear Rev. Bullock's interview, forward to the 114.00 section mark in the podcast.
<a href="http://bit.ly/yQ6jN9" rel='nofollow'>http://bit.ly/yQ6jN9</a>

Usual Suspect

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:57 p.m.

What a joke.

Steve

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:41 p.m.

Marching to an elected leaders private home is an act of intimidation, period.
It would be one thing if Snyder lived in a public-owned Governors mansion, but that is not the case.
This kind of polotic

Steve

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.

So?
Can he do nothing right? He chose not to live in Lansing to save the taxpayers of Michigan money. His salary is a dollar.
I don't think I'm going to rip on him for either of those choices.

Arboriginal

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:27 p.m.

He chose not to live in Lansing.

Fred Flyovah

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:28 p.m.

Whether you agree with the protestors' approach or not, the amount of direct and implied racism in these comments is astounding. &quot;King Race Baiter&quot; Sharpton? &quot;Corrupt AFRICAN cities&quot;? [Caps mine, I just don't see what African cities have to do with this dialog.]
And although I will not be joining the protest, the argument to &quot;leave his home out of it&quot; seems preposterous, when you ponder the fact that HIS actions come right into the living room of TENS OF THOUSANDS of citizens.

kulse012

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.

Regardless of how one feels about the Emergency Manager and Snyder law, let's let that go for a second. I ask a very simple question. Where was the outrage of these groups and people and leaders when hundreds are murdered in Detroit each year. Where is the effort to stop the violence, educate youth and restore some respect to the city of Detroit? Where is the outrage at what Detroit has become after being so great? If you dont like Snyder, the EM law, thats your right and defend it I will. Detroit though needs to focus this kind of energy and outrage at taking back neighborhoods and kicking out the scum. Talk to the cops, neighborhood watches, literacy programs, clean up abandoned house. these are things that Detroit truly needs from Michigan and outsiders alike.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:03 a.m.

Denise, you can't blame banks and the financial upheaval of the last 4 or 5 years for 45 years of corruption, mismanagement and societal collapse.

thinker

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:40 a.m.

Don't forget the banks were forced to give mortgages to those who could not afford them under Clinton and later under the Democrats in 2007 called the Affordable Housing Act.

sbbuilder

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:08 a.m.

DH
Let's not forget generations of recipients of Welfare etc. who 'sucked the city dry'.

kulse012

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11 p.m.

Definitely was. I think It is fair to refer to some people in Detroit and enywhere else as scum when appilcable. I completely agree the banks have played a major part in Detroit's downfall. So has crime and scummy people that make neighborhoods beyond unsafe. Although I admit it's a chicken versus egg sort of argument. However, the drug dealers, murderers and gangsters that have set up shop and thrive in Detroit are definitely real people. These are groups of people that the decent citizens of Detroit and Michigan should be outraged at. I just want to see a major protest against criminals and those in local offices as well who steal from hard working Detroiters as well, even if it is simply symbolic. I just don't remember this kind of outrage when Mayor Kilpatrick or Monica Conyers were caught robbing good people blind and accepting bribes.

Denise Heberle

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.

Many homes in Detroit were abandoned by the banks that foreclosed on them and now own them but do absolutely nothing to keep them up. This is the quickest way to bring down a neighborhood and to increase the kinds of problems you describe. The only &quot;scum&quot; in Detroit are the faceless, inhuman financial institutions that have sucked the city dry. I certainly hope you weren't referring to people when you used that term.

Denise Heberle

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:58 p.m.

I am in full support of this protest. It is sponsored by a broad coalition of organizations that support democracy and fairness in government and will be protected by the state and county police as is their duty - not an additional expense. The First Amendment right to free assembly and speech is precious. As usual, the comments here are uninformed and simply bizarre. (&quot;...they will leave garbage all over the place and fully disrupt the neighborhood&quot;????) First, the Governor has come into the private residences of the citizens of Michigan and stripped them of their right to be governed by elected officials. At a minimum, that deserves a visit to the entrance of his gated &quot;community.&quot; We do not expect to be allowed to enter. Second, this issue has an extraordinary racial component. If Detroit is put under emergency management, as looks inevitable, fully 49% of Michigan's African American residents will be governed by hand-picked, unelected managers over whom there is no meaningful oversight. Third, the power these managers have to dissolve city contracts, fire elected officials, do away with services and programs, and take over school boards is simply too great. Finally, this appears to be an plan orchestrated by a number of mid-western governors (Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin...) to seize power from the people. This kind of coordinated action is troubling to say the least. I plan to be at the march and to honor Dr. King in doing so. I also plan to visit the Governor at his workplace two days later and I urge others to do so. Come to the State of the State address - Lansing Capitol, January 18, 2012, all day, but especially during the speech which begins at 6:30, (especially those commenters who object to the MLK Day protest because it will take place near(-ish) his residence.)

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:23 p.m.

@halflight: I'm fairly certain I've voted up all your comments. Thanks for the sanity.
@Denise: No one is being denied their rights. The protesters can protest on the road all they want. There is no &quot;right&quot; to local government and the irony of the comments of some protesters is that they don't even know this. No one is disenfranchised because they can still vote for their representatives in the State. You may find this hard to believe, but a municipality does not have a &quot;right&quot; to overspend or wastefully spend taxpayer dollars ad infinitum.

DonBee

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.

&quot; fully 49% of Michigan's African American residents will be governed by hand-picked, unelected managers over whom there is no meaningful oversight.&quot;
And there was meaningful oversight on the elected officials? How many politicians are in jail or have pending trials or are under investigation for corruption from these same communities?
Is it better to have an elected corrupt politician or an unelected manager who is honest?

Hot Sam

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11 p.m.

&quot;&quot;&quot;First, the Governor has come into the private residences of the citizens of Michigan and stripped them of their right to be governed by elected officials&quot;&quot;&quot;
Where did you come up with that nonsense? He won the election...if you don't like it you can work to elect someone else...these unhinged response don't do much to hel your cause...

halflight

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:47 p.m.

Denise Heberle wrote:
&quot;First, the Governor has come into the private residences of the citizens of Michigan and stripped them of their right to be governed by elected officials.&quot;
No, he didn't &quot;come into the private residences of the citizens&quot;, he passed a law. Rhetorical flying leaps are not facts.
&quot;At a minimum, that deserves a visit to the entrance of his gated &quot;community.&quot;&quot;
Well, then, you shouldn't have a problem with people showing up at your private residence, since you show up others. What's your address?

spj

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:38 p.m.

To all of you who have such disparaging things to say about the protesters and what they will do. I am white. I am a Michigan resident. I live about a mile from Governor Snyder. I will be there. We have a system to deal with incompetence and malfeasance in office. It's called the ballot box. Taking away the right of people of color to vote for their own government because you &quot;know better&quot; can get dressed up however you want it, but it's paternalistic racism and we should not stand for it.

halflight

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:56 a.m.

You clearly don't understand state law, and use the accusation of racism to browbeat your political opponents. You can dress it up any way you want, but it's pure demagoguery and we should not stand for it.

Usual Suspect

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:59 p.m.

&quot;We have a system .... It's called the ballot box&quot;
But you're going to the protest anyway.

H.

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.

Memo to Al and the demonstrators: Ricky lives on a private road. That is called trespassing. Enjoy your night in jail if you march to his front door. Want to park on Geddes Road? Fine. That will cost you a parking ticket, a tow bill, and impoundment fee for restricting free flow movement on Geddes Road since it has no shoulders. Want to march down Geddes Road without a permit to close it? Strike three for jeopardizing public safety and free flowing movement. Take your cause to the Capital building where is belongs and leave Governor Snyder's neighbors and Superior Township residents out of your chaos.

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.

It's a silly made-for-TV protest.
They are alienating the people they are trying to convince, but they don't even see it.

DonBee

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.

Fire Rick -
I hope you get the bill from the County Sheriff's department for the overtime you cost the county on a holiday.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:01 a.m.

FireRick, that's a load. None of you cared a wit about EMs, who've always had the power to kick local officials out, until they got the power to alter or void union contracts. Those are facts, so stop trying to pretend any of this is about protecting democracy. This group is bought and paid for by union money, and that's all anyone in this group cares about. At least admit it. It's obvious to everyone else.

Fire Rick

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:05 a.m.

Ricky lover: As the citizens of Michigan, we have much bigger issues to be concerned with than Ricky's neighbors possibly being inconvenienced for a couple hours. (They've had fair warning, so maybe they can go to their vacation homes up north for the weekend.) Sorry, but I'm much more concerned about the daily impact Public Act 4 has on the citizens of Benton Harbor, Flint, Pontiac, Detroit, and Ecorse than I am about the minor inconvenience to a few 1 percenters who happen to live in Ricky's neighborhood. They'll live.

sbbuilder

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : midnight

H.
Unfortunately I think your suggestions will fall on deaf ears. The fact that there are other people who live down that road, the fact that his wife and child will also de facto be under 'attack', the fact that there should be an off limits retreat from political shenanigans is lost on them. Sigh.

H.

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:44 p.m.

Ricky hater: If the Gov does live on a public road, than I stand corrected. But short of only having you and two others present, there is no way you will pull this off without there being safety and nuisance issues to the public. I am all for free speech. But take your fight elsewhere to a more appropriate place (i.e the Capital). Rick's neighbors and the Superior Township resident don't need your nonsense or circus act in their neighborhood.

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:09 p.m.

Memo to H:
1) The protest will take place outside of Geddes Glen - not the private road. Trespassing won't be an issue.
2) As the article states, &quot;Organizers are asking people to park at Washtenaw Community College at 4800 East Huron Drive and then either walk to the rally point or take a shuttle.&quot; Tickets, towing and impoundment will also not be an issue.
3) The group organizing the protest has been working in collaboration with the police to create a safe and legal event. &quot;Jeopardizing public safety and free flowing movement&quot; also will not be an issue.
Any other complaints?

Going to someone's house, not their office or other professional space, is out of line. His family and neighbors shouldn't be subjected to this.

DonBee

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 2:28 a.m.

Fire Rick -
You are clearly a person who has it in for people who are &quot;not you&quot;. Class warfare seems to be what you live for.
I will support your right to speak, but not to create riots. I hope you keep it peaceful tomorrow.

Fire Rick

Mon, Jan 16, 2012 : 12:08 a.m.

@YpsiVeteran
You're way off base. This has absolutely nothing to do with unions and everything to do with Michigan voters who are being disenfranchised in communities across the state.
<a href="http://youtu.be/_mY0aG16aac" rel='nofollow'>http://youtu.be/_mY0aG16aac</a>

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.

No Fire Rick, unions have had complete power in this state for way too long and, now that someone's threatening that one-sided power equation, are fighting tooth and nail to maintain the status quo. The rest of us have had enough. Your pretense at &quot;standing up for the underdog&quot; is transparently false. The &quot;underdogs&quot; in this scenario are the everyday, non-unionized citizens, many of them kids, in these failing cities, and these protestors don't care about them one little bit.

Fire Rick

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.

@DonBee
Absolutely! I will always stand up for the underdog. Snyder and his Republican cronies have complete power in this state right now and the little people are paying for it. Enough is enough.

DonBee

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.

Fire Rick -
Your true colors shine thru. It is not OK to trample on your chosen segment of the population, but it is OK to trample on other segments that are &quot;NOT ME&quot;.
Class and Race warfare at its worst.
Shame on you.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.

Rick, that kind of arrogance is offensive. It's ok to trample on people's rights, as long as they are people you've chosen, apparently. It's sad you don't appear to recognize the hypocrisy.

Hot Sam

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:58 p.m.

She's right fire...it is a cheap and cowardly act...

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:15 p.m.

What about all those in Michigan who've been subjected to Snyder's anti-democratic policies? While it may pose a minor inconvenience for a few who live in that area, the statement will be HUGE. I've seen Snyder's neighborhood - let's not worry about the 1% for once and figure out how to restore the rights for the 99%.

u812

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.

when does China decide our federal government gets a EFM because we can't repay our debt to them.

sbbuilder

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:55 p.m.

halflight
I think there was just a little tongue and cheek going on there.

halflight

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.

The USA is a sovereign state. Detroit, Highland Park, Benton Harbor et al. are municipalities formed under the authority of Michigan state law, which provides for the appointment of EFMs.
If China doesn't like U.S. fiscal policy, it simply stops lending Americans money. If the City of Detroit fails fiscally, the State of Michigan pays the tab. See the difference?

Lynn Liston

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.

I understand the feelings of the people who are trying to preserve their rights as citizens to elect their own officials and their fears about what may happen with an unsympathetic and unelected EM who takes over with an ambiguous political agenda. Why not confront him in his office, which is the place from which he governs and where he works with elected representatives to write legislation such as the EM law? It is certainly more symbolic to take the protest to the Governor's Office than to hound him in his home, where the crowds may intimidate his family and neighbors.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:45 a.m.

The funny thing is, no one's threatening anyone's right to elect whomever they please. They're only threatening the ability of municipal officials to choose unlimited, unrestricted incompetence and failure.

81wolverine

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.

I don't understand the racial overtones of this protest - especially the supposed tie-in with MLK. This should have nothing at all to do with race. This has everything to do with a city (Detroit or any other city in the state for that matter) that can't responsibly manage it's own finances any more. I have no problem with Public Act 4. It's a fail-safe measure in case a city government becomes fiscally dysfunctional like Detroit is right now. And this has nothing to do with &quot;destruction of democracy&quot;. Detroit has the choice. They can fix their budgetary problems if they want. Or they face the alternative. Public Act 4 makes the city government (Detroit or wherever) more accountable.

Stephen Landes

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 4:20 a.m.

81Wolverine -- people who make their living in the race-baiting business will find race at the bottom of any issue. Without race as an issue Al Sharpton would simply be an out of work preacher; with race he commands attention and money. Power is what this is all about -- has absolutely nothing to do with &quot;democracy&quot;. If democracy was the issue good old Rev Al woulds be IN DETROIT teaching people about what it means to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and how to vote for a new, more responsible City Council.

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:40 a.m.

&quot;Welfare Rights.&quot; Rights? Really? Welfare is apparently a *right* now. I'm not sure why the rest of the state is expending so much energy trying to keep this monument to failure from imploding. Honestly. Welfare rights? Is this what you're protesting to protect? For shame.

Usual Suspect

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:50 p.m.

In the twisted minds of the Justice Brothers, EVERYTHING has to do with race.

Andy Price

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:45 p.m.

It's the commenters here who are making this about race by focusing on Sharpton and Jackson.

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:45 p.m.

This protest isn't about race at all - it's about democracy for everyone! Where are you getting &quot;racial overtones&quot; from? Reread the article and you'll see that race isn't mentioned once.
The supporters of this event include:
Jobs With Justice
UAW
MEA
USWA
Sugar Law Center
Labor Notes
AFSCME
Elected officials all over the state
Ministers and clergy from Detroit, Highland Park, Flint, Benton Harbor, Lansing, Inkster, Muskegon
Welfare Rights and Anti-Poverty activists
Occupy Detroit
Occupy UM (U of M)
NAACP
Washtenaw Community Action Team (WCAT)
and many, many more!

Angry Moderate

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.

Where was Al Sharpton when Detroit itself was electing corrupt officials who failed balance the budget? Or when Governor Granholm was appointing emergency managers? And why is a tax-free church allowed to participate in this political activity?

Angry Moderate

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.

Mhm of course, and the small group of &quot;churches&quot; that always show up with their squad of professional race baiters to demand unlimited bailouts from the rest of the state never violate their tax exempt status by engaging in campaigning.

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:25 p.m.

A point of clarification . . .
The group organizing this event is not affiliated with Michigan Rising and has not endorsed the recall. Their goal is to restore democracy and repeal Public Act 4. Michigan Rising, the group organizing the second recall attempt, is choosing to participate in this event to promote the recall and solicit volunteers.

spj

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.

Granholm appointed managers under a different law. They did not have the power to remove elected officials, which PL4 allows.

Angry Moderate

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:04 p.m.

Yes, I agree - they are clearly beyond issue advocacy here as they are promoting a recall.

AMOC

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:02 p.m.

Angry Moderate - Churches and other religious groups may legally hold demonstrations about policies and issues without endangering their tax exemption. They may not participate in drives to elect (or defeat) a candidate for elective office or lobby the legislature in support of or against a specific piece of legislation. Support of the recall effort is dubious, calling for the repeal of Public Act 4 in that language puts them clearly over the line. King Solomon Baptist Church will probably lose their tax exemption if they are reported to the IRS and audited.

thecompound

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:01 p.m.

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that some of the same people who are against the EM's on the grounds that removing elected officials is &quot;undemocratic&quot; are all fired up for the recall rick campaign?

Mick52

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:39 p.m.

Fire Rick you do not seem to understand this law. It does not require removing elected officials from their positions. If you go back to Gov Granholm assigning Robert Bob to the Detroit Public Schools, the school board was dismissed. It probably should have been since they ran interference, including suing Mr. Bob.
I think including the ability to remove them is a positive factor, if a council interferes as the DPS school board did. I think in the long run council members are relieved to get an EFM if they have difficulty in getting cooperation from unions.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:48 p.m.

Recall of an elected official has a long, long tradition, and using it to stop an official who is endangering what we consider to be our basic civic rights is the whole point. If you don't agree, don't sign. This &quot;we know better than the electorate and will assign a Big Daddy to correct their bad rule&quot; actions is a whole different thing. I would think that would be readily apparent. Snyder and his people have attacked local rule here, and should be stopped by recall if possible.

sbbuilder

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:53 p.m.

thecompound
Actually I believe you are in the majority with that finding.

Arborcomment

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.

While you are twisting/tilting FR, link will provide info for you:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmill" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmill</a>

thecompound

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:34 p.m.

okay, you can twist it any way you like, have fun monday, lol!

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:28 p.m.

Public Act 4 is one of the main reasons why people want to recall the Governor. A recall is completely constitutional and part of the democratic process.
An Emergency Manager's authority to remove elected officials is by no means constitutional or democratic.
No irony here . . . just a failure to understand the meaning of democracy.

newsboy

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:54 p.m.

The (Emergency manger law) is an excellent way to bring fiscal responsibility and transparency back to the tax payer. The only problem with it is; its constitutionality. This type of law is too broad to stand the test of time. If this law came from say; the people of the State of Michigan, in the form of a constitutional amendment, and conformed to the U.S. constitution and the Bill of Rights, It may have been considered valid in public's perception. The need to remove elected officials and make divisions against the will of the people is not necessary. If recommendations from a nonelected official are made, they must be scrutinized with the greatest of care. Citizens must make choices for themselves on whether the information is correct, or if there are other ways of achieving the same goal. The words (Emergency Manager) would best be saved for use in the commission of acts barberry and fraud on foreign soil by the next "Bush (type) presidency."

jdevgrell

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:53 p.m.

I'm curious who first developed this idea. Protesting at a public official's personal residence seems off the mark on quite a few different levels, unless of course the residence itself is at issue (such as a multi-million dollar mansion or something), The aims of this protest confuse the personal man with his professional persona and/or policies, and that's precisely the kind of thinking that Dr. King was attempting to transform. Both Dr. King, and Gandhi before him, placed an incredibly strong emphasis on one quality that they encouraged all of us to cultivate: respect. This doesn't mean agree with unjust policies, or participating in unjust societal structures, but it does mean being clear in your outward actions and inner motivations that you make a distinction between a person and their actions.
While no one is advocating violence or personal terrorism, it still shows a profound lack of understanding, in my opinion, of the nature of symbolic and practical protest. This protest, it seems to me, fails in both domains. It's impractical, and symbolically it's just confusing.

M.

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.

This is all awesome and everything, but why the HECK are they parking at WCC?!?!?!!?!?! Our parking is FULL!!!! PLEASE USE THE NEW PARKING TOWER!

Mick52

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:33 p.m.

They should charge for the parking.

Ryan J. Stanton

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.

The college is closed on Monday in observance of MLK Day. There should be some free parking spaces.

braggslaw

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.

intimidation tactics won't work.
Rick is incorruptible and understands what this state needs.
Special interests, unions, the race card will not change that.

Joe_Citizen

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:22 p.m.

Do they have a plan in place, or are they just going to cry poverty when they prove they can't do it. I'm sick of throwing money at Detroit, and I know I'm not the only one. Stupid is what stupid does, greedy is what greedy does, and so on. I am in agreement with the new law. Sell the assets, and what ever will get them out of debt. MLK, does not have anything to do with this problem, and it is a disgrace that this church wants to defile his good name. I do also believe that the emergency manager will be much better then the out come of which is sure to happen.

hank

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.

The issue here is the slow destruction of Democracy and the people that are so willing to give their vote for the sake of the bottom line. My guess is that many posting never fought for freedom and the cherished right to vote. After this what's next ,elimination of voting altogether?

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

Seriously. Is this the kind of &quot;freedom&quot; we brag about when we take down 3rd world nations in wars?

DonBee

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.

hank -
Some of us spent many years in the service of this country. Is that what you mean by &quot;fought for freedom&quot; or do you mean something different?

MB111

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:59 p.m.

Save the melodrama, please

halflight

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.

No, the issue is an electorate who repeatedly fails to vote in fiscally competent representatives, with the result that state taxpayer funds are squandered by a bankrupt city. The residents of a city do not have an unlimited right to elect their municipal representatives-- it is a right granted by state law. State law also requires cities to be fiscally solvent; otherwise, the state government can appoint an emergency financial manager until solvency is restored.
City of Detroit residents have a right to elect state representatives and the governor, who in return will control the EFM until Detroit gets its books in order. The right to vote is in no danger of disappearing. What may and should disappear is irresponsible municipal government.

DonBee

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.

The weather report is calling for freezing rain. I hope anyone driving in the area keeps a sharp eye out for these people. It would be really bad if someone had an accident here. There is no sidewalk, no real shoulder on the road and the road into the house is a private road (read private property).
Please if you have to go into that area, think about a different route.
For the TV people who are expected to cover this &quot;event&quot; remember the road shoulders (such as they are) are soft and give way easily. You may want to arrange a tow truck to get your van out when you are done.

halflight

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:17 p.m.

These protestors need to show up at the next Detroit City Council meeting and protest the general incompetence on display there.
The City of Detroit is a municipal corporation formed under the laws and the authority of the State of Michigan. City residents have the right to elect local representative government only because State law grants that right. If the City fails financially, the State has the right and the obligation to restore it to solvency. The residents of Detroit have the right to elect their own municipal representatives only so long as the city complies State law, which it has repeatedly failed to do by running huge budget deficit. Residents still have representative government, as the Governor and legislature are elected bodies, and will appoint an emergency manager until such time as Detroit presents a balanced budget.

Arborcomment

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.

Ron. What does it take to make it on that &quot;agenda&quot; elsewhere in the state for emergency managers? Any ground rules? Is anywhere subject? Let us know. Thanks.

Ron Granger

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:33 p.m.

I don't care about Detroit.
I care about what Snyder is doing to the rest of Michigan, and his agenda to use the Emergency Manager law elsewhere in the state.

cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.

4 p.m.? they will be ouy here after dark.geddes is NOT apedestrian friendly area.sounds like a good way to get in need of medical attention.quick,someone put up hawk signals.

hank

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7 p.m.

Forget the march save the money to help get Democrats elected in November and throw out the house republicans. Use that time and money to get registered to vote. I am surprised at the number of citizens in Michigan so willing to give up Democracy. The cities affected by the emf law are in large part populated by Blacks. I wonder if this happened in mostly white communities if the sentiment would be the same as posted here.

Mick52

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:29 p.m.

Save what money? Race has nothing to do with a community going bankrupt. It can happen to any city, like Vallejo, CA.

gild

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7 p.m.

Isn't it funny how everybody who likes to scream about EFMs conveniently ignores the blatant mismanagement that leads to them in the first place?
But no, it's much easier to go on hyperbolic rants about &quot;Snyder the dictator&quot; than to accept that people -- and, collectively, cities -- actually have some responsibility for their own actions.

u812

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:55 p.m.

Mr. Dictator does not have the right to tell hard working people who may work for a Municipality, that is FAR from being in the red, how to run it's finances.

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:08 p.m.

Actually, the Governor probably does have the right - take a look at the State Constitution. Whether the Governor or his delegate can alter existing contracts is unclear without the municipality filing for bankruptcy. The Courts will answer the question.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.

MB...I love it. If you don't do things the way the teafolk consider to be sane, then we will send in the carpetbaggers to take over and do it all the &quot;right&quot; way, that is, our way. You children should have had enough sense to do it our way in the first place. Oh, and again, what is a contract??

MB111

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:05 p.m.

So by holding a municpality responsible for their fiscal disaster is dictatorial? Ridiculous.
The Emergency manager would allow for fiscal sanity. Had Mayor Bing's predecessors been remotely responsible this would be unnecessary - blame the prior city leadership, not the governor.

Brian Kitchin

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.

I love the fact The King race-baiter Sharpton will be there. Now that makes it Impotent. They should march to the cities that have been run like corrupt African city-states for the last 40 years.

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.

I hadn't planned on going, but seeing all the people barking here about what a horrible event it's going to be, I just got charged up to go!

Denise Heberle

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.

YAY!

Kai Petainen

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.

I support the idea of peaceful protesting and the freedom of speech. However, I do not like the idea of protesting outside of a personal residence. It's inappropriate. If you want to protest in front of his residence, then do it outside of the official Governor's Mansion in Lansing or the summer mansion on Mackinac Island.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Governor" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Governor</a>'s_Mansion
His private home is his private home. As much as I may agree or disagree with his policies, provide him some respect, and let him live in peace at his home.

1bit

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 9:06 p.m.

@RG: It's not about the Governor, it's about the neighbors. Snyder's not going to be there, so just protest in the Capitol or outside the Governor's Mansion in Lansing. But organizing a rally along a road with no shoulder, in winter, at night, in freezing rain seems more logical?

Ron Granger

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.

Apparently more than a few people are unhappy with him taking money out of their private homes.

cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:46 p.m.

charles has tipped his hand.expect wcsd etc.to blockade wcc etc.i would also advise the buses,drivers are more than perfect.

Cash

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:28 p.m.

they are there every morning anyhow...anyone driving down Geddes knows that.

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.

Can't wait! Hope to see all of you there!
Michigan Rising, the group starting the second recall effort in May 2012, will be at the rally signing up volunteers. Please join us.

Arborcomment

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:49 a.m.

Ypsi, you were very close: 807 residents in the survey!
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/michigan_residents_down_on_eco.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/michigan_residents_down_on_eco.html</a>

Gorc

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:11 a.m.

Hopefully the protestors bring a few extra dollars and visit Depot Town or downtown Ann Arbor and support the local economies.

Gorc

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:08 a.m.

Even if you get everyone who attends the protest to sign a second petition to recall the Governor. You'll still end up over 500,000 signatures short...just like the first failed effort you supported.

InsideTheHall

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:54 a.m.

Ah good ol Fire Rick, the MEA shill who OCCUPIED the Art fair and Farmers Market trying to gathering signatures last summer. How'd that work out for ya??????
Just askin.

YpsiVeteran

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.

I haven't looked at the survey, but if it's the usual, &quot;850 registered voters&quot; auto-polled at dinnertime with push-question and a margin of error of 4 or 5 percent, it's pretty worthless.

Arborcomment

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:17 p.m.

You make a rather large leap using survey results to equate approval ratings and &quot;recall&quot;. How much is MEA chipping in this time?
And about that survey, it appears that the survey director has a wee bit of an agenda going:
<a href="http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/10/02/opinion/srv0000006530761.txt" rel='nofollow'>http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/10/02/opinion/srv0000006530761.txt</a>

Fire Rick

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:57 p.m.

@tdw
According to the Fall 2011 State of the State survey conducted by the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, Governor Snyder's approval ratings are the LOWEST in the nation! Less than 20% of Michigan residents actually think he's doing a &quot;good&quot; or &quot;excellent&quot; job as governor. The first recall attempt ended in September and Snyder's approval ratings have plummeted since then.
Are their 807,000 registered voters in Michigan that would sign a petition to recall Rick? Absolutely! Can we organize and get the manpower we need to collect all those signatures in a 90-day window? That remains to be seen. Nonetheless, I will not sit by and do nothing while Rick continues to destroy democracy and public education in Michigan.
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/gov_snyders_popularity_continu.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/gov_snyders_popularity_continu.html</a>

tdw

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:18 p.m.

your recall failed the first time it'll fail the second time.I know it's hard to believe but there are people ( the majority ) that don't agree with you

Technojunkie

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.

In other words, write Detroit a blank check or we'll send a mob to terrorize your family until you submit.
These people have the nerve to claim that they're defending democracy? We had an election, Democrats lost (badly), Snyder is governing as he campaigned, suck it up and don't nominate such a loser next time. Maybe think about electing some honest, competent people to Detroit city government to help Mayor Bing straighten things out before the state has to save you from total collapse.
Or maybe the state should stay out of it and let Detroit fend for itself. That might prove sufficiently educational. I would not object to this approach.

Sparty

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:46 a.m.

Snyder is hardly governing as he campaigned. He campaigned as a moderate but has governed as a far right radical. He didnt campaign on taxing pensions, banning domestic partner benefits, cutting unemployment benefits, expanding emergency manager laws, decimating the safety net, cutting education dollars, cutting workers comp benefits, cutting auto catastrophic insurance, and on and on. RECALL is coming.

Ron Granger

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:30 p.m.

&quot;Snyder is governing as he campaigned&quot;
No, he is not.
He wouldn't reveal his tax increases on the working class during the campaign. It was a big secret.

YpsiVeteran

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:30 p.m.

Techo, Democrats didn't loose when Snyder was elected. Plenty of us voted for him.

Jack

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:22 p.m.

sh1 - Bing cannot do anything without the support of Detroit
City Council, support that he does not get. I think Bing is an honest man. Cannot say I think the same of some of the Council members.

thecompound

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:54 p.m.

how is it okay to attempt to recall a governor instead of letting him (i believe he is an &quot;elected people&quot;) do his job?

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:51 p.m.

Then, if you support democracy and letting elected people do their jobs, how is it okay to ignore a democratically elected mayor and city council in Detroit?

antikvetch

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.

&quot;You can expect hundreds of activists from all over the state of Michigan and some from Ohio and Indiana to converge onto Geddes Road where we will march to the governor's house&quot;.
Why not just use inflatable protesters?
Not a good sign, when your protest requires the use of out-of-state mercenaries...

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:28 p.m.

They're PAYING these people to come here? That's a joke. Also, do you remember reading about the Freedom Riders. Damned mercenaries, eh?

cibachrome

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.

Isn't it funny that the cities on the edge of bankrupcy and heading for an Emergency Manager takeover ALL have one thing in common?
Its a national problem! No marching your way around the facts...

YpsiVeteran

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 1:02 a.m.

Cash, the so called &quot;white flight&quot; of 45 years ago, has since been dwarfed by the &quot;black flight&quot; of everyone else who could get out, as proven by the most recent census and reported on extensively by the Detroit Free Press, Metro Times, and others:
&quot;But the big story of this census has nothing to do with whites. It is massive black flight. Detroit lost one-quarter of its black population during the decade — a staggering 185,393 people...&quot;
Will there be the same fingerpointing at the black community for the next 45 years?

thinker

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.

@Cash
You would flee too if your cousin/son/grandson were shot in cold blood by a bunch of these &quot;poor&quot;.

Cash

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.

Yes, they do have something in common.....the Great White Flight.
Let the poor fend for themselves.

gostate

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.

Isn't Gov. Snyder's house in a gated neighborhood on a private drive? That and the limited shoulder/ &quot;protest area&quot; may make this &quot;march&quot; little more than a bunch of people standing on a dangerous road that has some notorious blind curves. I've ridden my bike down the Gov's stretch of Geddes road, it's pretty scary as there is no place to safely get out of an oncoming vehicles path's.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:25 p.m.

Why not put up temporary strobe lights??

Brian Kitchin

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:55 p.m.

Well then they can sue some poor sap when they get ran over.

blahblahblah

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:52 p.m.

Also note the 4:00PM start time, just when the sun is starting to go down. Depending on the weather, visibility could be even worse.

JustMyOpinion

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:36 p.m.

When did Al quit his soup strike? Say what you like, protest away, but there is only one reason Detroit is in this fix; fiscal mismanagement by Detroit.
Why this is somehow a reasonable MLK day issue is an affront in my opinion. This is not about race - this is about management.

YpsiVeteran

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:26 p.m.

Not always, sh1. What they tend to do is fire do-nothing political appointees, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings that can be used to pay city bills and pay city workers. In Flint, the first thing the EM did is fire all the Mayor's appointees, and the next thing he did was start hiring more cops and firemen.
Do you really think the Detroit city council, for example, should continue to be allowed to squander almost a million dollars, each, every year, for their &quot;staff budgets&quot;? Does each one of them need a &quot;Legislative Liaison&quot; at $150K per year? While old people are slaughtered in their homes, citizens have no services and generation after generation of kids gets discarded? How exactly is that &quot;deomcracy&quot;?

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:24 p.m.

So the solution is to take money away from city workers to fill in the gaps? That's what EFMs tend to do.

daytona084

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.

sh1: Bing is doing what he can, but in a couple months the money will run out... as in zero... no paychecks for city workers. Time has run out.

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.

What's wrong with letting Bing try to fix the mess? He's putting things in place, but it's not a short-fix kind of thing.

bunnyabbot

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.

Sharpton (and Jesse Jackson) do nothing but try to interject themselves into whatever they can to try to keep themselves relevent. These men are nothing, absolutely nothing like MLK. Furthermore in my opinion they do nothing but keep their own people (blacks) down by constantly playing the race card.
seperatly if the governer was black (and a democrate) I bet they would be saying he was doing the right thing.
there is absolutely no real reason to march on his home and not the capital other than for keeping it as decisive as possible.

bunnyabbot

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:02 p.m.

@bedrog, don't forget the good rev had a child out of wedlock too.

bunnyabbot

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:01 p.m.

Tesla I am not a republican, I am an independant a conservative one but still an independant, therefore I look at every issue before I make my decision, not blinding siding with what a &quot;party&quot; or public figure says is how I should. (remember the average person really doesn't follow politics or public issues).

bedrog

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.

tesla: Im a liberal democrat and bunny abbot is correct about those 2 clowns. Egomaniacs both with shoddy track records of bigotry and libel , notably Jackson's infamous antisemitic &quot;hymietown&quot; remark when he ran for president and thought he was off mike) and Sharpton's Twana Brawley scam.

Tesla

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:59 p.m.

You're a republican. We get it.

15crown00

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.

Detroit needs help BAD.Emergency Manager will be great for that city.The nay sayers are afraid corruption will be rooted out and the unions will be busted.They're right both of those things will happen but that's what needs to be done.

Ron Granger

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 11:28 p.m.

Wake up.
I don't care about Detroit. I care about how Snyder will apply this law to other local governments across the state.

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:22 p.m.

Do you feel the same way about businesses/corporations that accept subsidies and can't keep afloat?

gild

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:56 p.m.

Tell you what, sh1. If Detroit will agree to never again seek or accept any kind of subsidy from the rest of the state, then its leaders can continue being fiscally irresponsible to their hearts' content. But that's not how it works right now, and when a municipality's leaders are as flagrantly unwilling to manage finances responsibly as Detroit's are, it does affect the rest of the state.
Don't want an emergency manager? Don't run your city into the ground.

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.

So, when did you turn your back on democracy and decide dictatorship was okay?

squidlover

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.

Ah, yes...nothing lends credibility to an effort like having Sharpton present.
If they are so worried about protecting their democracy, how about focusing on the incompetence and corruption that leads to these problems so an emergency manager wouldn't be necessary?

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.

It's the choice in democracy that makes it democracy. You may choose to vote whichever way you wish, and you also have a right not to vote at all. If you don't like the people to decide by voting or not voting as they choose, why don't you just come out and say it instead of rationalizing it.

doglover

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:15 p.m.

If one considers the average voter turnout in Detroit and other cities affected by EFM, one might wonder how many of the actual citizens there really do care about democracy.

Brad

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.

I'm no Snyder fan, but why not do this at his office instead of his home? That's just low class. I doubt that Dr. King would have done it or would approve of it.

Brad

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.

Yes, rationalization is always an option.

Fred Flyovah

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 10:20 p.m.

I asked the same question, but the fact is, his actions bring results right into OUR homes, and he has, after all, chosen a very public lifestyle.

Mr. Ed

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.

Williams fears what an emergency manager might mean for Detroit, a city that's in a process of trying to reinvent itself.
&quot;Specifically for my city, it means that an emergency manager will come in and he will sell assets. He will cut-kill-destroy collective bargaining agreements,&quot; he said. &quot;He will worsen city services by cutting city services. All of the things we fight to try to keep.
&quot;So we'll run into things like lights being cut off in areas, garbage not being picked up in certain areas of the city,&quot;
What is different now. The city closed the aquarium on Bell Isl, street lights are out ect ect.

Thomas

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 11:07 p.m.

The people of detroit aren't capable of handling the city themselves. They've had 40 years to fix that crap hole and can't do it. And in fact keep electing the fools interested only in their self interests, not what's best for the city. Sometimes you need someone who doesn't have emotional ties, or kickbacks, or self interests in mind to clean up the mess. Detroit is a perfect example of what entrenched Democratic leadership can do for you. And it sucks.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.

Mr. Ed: the difference is that the people of Detroit did it, not the governor's teaP minions. That's what democracy is all about. If things are done the wrong way, it was the people's choice, and it's their choice to fix it. It isn't the responsibility of BIG BROTHER Rick.

Basic Bob

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.

Dave Bing is doing the things necessary to avoid emergency management. That is what I would hope for. If the next mayor returns to corruption and destruction, the voters will vacate their rights to run the city.

stunhsif

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:10 p.m.

Pathetic and a waste of time !
Have to guess they will leave garbage all over the place and fully disrupt the neighborhood, looking forward to hearing about the chaos on tuesday. Anyone want to venture a guess as to how much A2 will have to spend $'wise to clean up and pay for the cops to keep the peace ?
We can then compare the mess they leave behind to how Tea Party gatherings across the land leave nary a trace of having been there.
Don't worry Mr. Snyder, we have your back !
Go Green Go White

hank

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 12:02 p.m.

The reason there is no garbage or mess ,no one attends. The t-party has been rendered useless. The primaries in Iowa ,NH. and going into SC. have given a strong indication of what the voters think of your boys and girls.

Arborcomment

Sun, Jan 15, 2012 : 3:37 a.m.

SpaRty, yOur 19 percent &quot;approval&quot; Basis are those rating him good or excellent in a survey of a whopping 807 residents. This does not equate to 81 percent &quot;recall&quot;. The survey was led by a director that published this:
<a href="http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/10/02/opinion/srv0000006530761.txt" rel='nofollow'>http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/10/02/opinion/srv0000006530761.txt</a>
PRetty much lays Out where his Bread is buttered.

Sparty

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 9:05 p.m.

If you have his back, how come his approval rating is only 19% -- below the lowest point of his arch rival Governor Jennifer Granholm's, and among the lowest of the USA's current Governor's? In fact, he's on a fast march towards having THE lowest approval rating in the entire nation at the rate he's going and making Michigan a complete laughing stock: witness Emergency Manager controversy, Domestic Partner ban, attempted recall, etc. etc.

AMOC

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 8:47 p.m.

Unfortunately, stunhsif, A2 taxpayers will not be paying to clean up the majority of the mess. Snyder lives in Superior Twp, where the property owners do or pay for the only clean up that gets done, and the township has to pay for police coverage by the Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies.
Of course these people have a right to free speech and to peaceful public assembly. But I really hope the deputies vigorously enforce all anti-littering laws as they march along our county and private roads.

Homeland Conspiracy

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.

Next stunsif will say that they are all pot smoking jobless unwashed socialist hippies. Just like Fox News &amp; Rush told him to.

sh1

Sat, Jan 14, 2012 : 6:47 p.m.

I notice how your mind is made up with a firm opinion before the event even happens.